The best predictor and indication of the value of a horse is its bloodlines. A prize horse is largely valued for its potential for breeding. Breeding stallions are most in demand after they have had a long and distinguished show or racing career. Unfortunately these careers frequently over tax their joints and they have limited ability to breed. These mature animals are also more affected by disease and injuries which have affected their ability to stand or balance on their hind legs. Because transportation of horses is difficult, time consuming, and expensive, artificial insemination is widely practiced. The use of frozen collected semen for artificial insemination has only been widely accepted in the last five years. The breeding associations for quarter horses, (the largest registration of horses) as well as the breeding associations for appaloosa, and paint horses have only accepted the use of frozen semen in the last five years. And now, collected semen can be deposited by anyone, within a cooling container having a removable frozen pack, then couriered overnight for use the next day.
The most difficult aspect of artificial insemination has been collecting the semen from the horse. U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,531 was issued to Jack L. Dyer, the inventor herein, is for a semen collection apparatus. One of the problems with this apparatus was the rear entry door on the horizontal body. During use the door is subjected to continual downward pressure by the stallion's body as well as to forceful thrusting. Because of this downward pressure, and the lateral components of the thrusting, the door's thickness could not be excessive. Occasionally this door opened during use and the unpadded rear peripheral edge portion of the body injured the stallion. Another problem with this door was that it limited thickness minimized the potential to provide an interior funnel to guide a horse's penis to a central opening adjacent to the artificial vagina. It is significantly more convenient for the operator when all horses are able to guide themselves to the artificial vagina. It is critical for some horses, which refuse to continue, if they are handled to be guided to the artificial vagina. In addition to the safety of the horses another problem with this apparatus was the safety of the operator. With this apparatus the operator was too frequently required to get beneath the horse to initially guide the horse into the artificial vagina. And the operator was always required to get beneath the horses after semen was collected. Operators received frequent kicks from the flying front feet of the horse.
Another feature the original semen collection apparatus lacked was an ability to accommodate a stallion which had suffered back, and/or hind leg injuries, and/or any other neurological disorder which effects their ability to balance themselves while standing on only their hind legs. A surprising number of prize animals, due to a hock, stiffle, or back injuries sustained during a long show or racing career, are prevented from breeding due to an inability to wholly support and balance themselves standing wholly on their hind legs. Particularly West Nile virus, and equine protozoal myelitis (E.P.M.) which effect the horse's balance, have prevented many prize stallions from having a successful natural breeding career. Most horses are shown or raced at great expense primarily to pay off in a breeding career.